Adaptive Shade vs Mole
Adaptive Shade is a Sherwin-Williams color while Mole comes from Tikkurila. Hue-wise, Adaptive Shade belongs to the greige-grey family and Mole to the grey family. With LRVs of 21 and 20, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 3.9, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Adaptive Shade vs Mole in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Adaptive Shade and Mole are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Adaptive Shade vs Mole Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Adaptive Shade on one side and Mole on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Adaptive Shade comparisons
See how Adaptive Shade stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
At LRV 21 vs 6, Adaptive Shade is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 21, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (27 vs 21) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
Adaptive Shade reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 13) makes Adaptive Shade the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 21, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Adaptive Shade the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.
Treron reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Adaptive Shade the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Adaptive Shade reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
With LRVs of 24 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 21), opening up a space where Adaptive Shade encloses it.